Sooch’s ICAST in 37 shots

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Welcome, welcome. Join along as we hit the showroom floor for ICAST 2018, the world’s largest fishing tackle and trade show. The Sooch will take you around to see what he saw, like these 20-foot high banners greeting the 15,000 or so registered attendees who come from all over the world.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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After going through a quick line to register, it’s off to the 220,000 square feet of floor space in the Orange County Convention Center that ICAST is using of the almost 1 million square feet in the North/South building. Here a crew with Coastal Conservation Association of Florida is busing folding T-shirts to give away.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Ah, the Bassmaster booth, and John Boy invites us in. That’s his real name and he works for a company that sets up exhibitor’s booths. But how did he know my name? Oh, right, ,my badge. G’night John Boy.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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With credentials, one can move freely around this industry only show. The first order of business is attending LiveTarget’s media conference, where around 50 or so watched Bassmaster emcee Dave Mercer introduce the new lineup before getting a closer look. (I was stunned when Gary Abernathy pulled my name out of a bag to win a shopping spree of LiveTarget lures. I hadn’t won anything since a game of musical chairs in second grade.)

Photo: Mike Suchan

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A good-sized crowd waits for the New Product Showcase to open. The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) began taking entries digitally for this convention, making it easier for companies. It's also easier to organize when they bring in their products. Media and buyers will now look over them for two days and then vote for Best of Show in 25 categories.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Bassmaster Elite pro James Elam poses at the Molix booth with the crew from Italy. The company has added several more Elites to its stable. Mike Iaconelli was the first -- say, where is Ike?

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Ah, here he is, shooting a piece for VMC hooks. He's a busy guy and seems to always be in performance mode.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Not far away were Elite wives Jennie DeFoe and Sara Tharp. Many wives help out their husbands, to varying degrees, so they can concentrate on fishing. Here Jennie and Sara show how they keep their husbands in line with their ICAST schedules.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Kevin VanDam poses for a photo with Adian Jaggers at the Quantum booth. KVD recommends the lad start with the Accurist reel that comes in colors to suit your scheme.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Speaking of hammers, T-H Marine has a bunch at its booth, in Greg Hackney, Jacob Powroznik, Terry Scroggins and Brent Ehrler.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Luke Clausen, who took a medical hardship from the Elites after suffering multiple injuries, is still on the mend but felt good enough to man the Yo-Zuri booth. That left hand still has some bone chips to be re-evaluated soon.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Keith Combs talked up a Seaguar’s Stealth Grey Braided line that he likes because it does better in blending in to a lot of different conditions. He's also showing off the InvizX fluorocarbon.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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With so much floor space, it’s not hard to rack up 6 miles walking a day, especially when you are searching for that company that you thought was right about here … but was not.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Media and buyers visit the New Product Showcase, a good place to see what might be on store shelves in the next year.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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KVD does a video at the Minn Kota booth for its Ultrex with Built-In MEGA Down Imaging that won the Best of Show Boating Accessories award.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Edwin Evers swears by his Wiley X sunglasses, the only ones in the fishing market that are ANSI rated by the government for maximum protection. “Not only will they protect my eyes, but they’re polarized and I can see fish. I’ve won many tournament sight fishing using these glasses,” he said.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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There are a lot of ways to draw attention, like this artist painting fish on a fish.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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During happy hour, a number of attendees stop at the Yakima booth, not only because they had beer and ice cream, but the World Cup soccer semifinal was on TV.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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The 25 winners of the Best of Show awards were moved out to the concourse, and for the first time, voters looked them over to select the Overall Best of Show. Here, an ICAST official photographer takes shots of a photographer taking shots of some of the winning products.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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A number of voters discuss the merits of the Best of Show winners.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Back inside the show floor, the Best of Show winners, like Minn Kota, display its hardware. An award can increase business of a specific product, and it makes those who worked on it proud.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Whether you call them mannequins or dummies, Huk clothes them all. Thanks to Huk’s Chris Ellis (standing fourth from left, second from left person, for getting three of his guys to play along.) Now, guess which of the four to the right is a person. That’s right, the guy with the big floppy hat.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Aaron Martens is almost always working, and here he’s videoing at the Realis booth.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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We had to look at the chop job Mark Zona did on Seth Feider’s hair. With a hat on, Feider pretty much looked the same as ever. With it off, not so much.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Bobby Lane, wife Madeline, daughter Alexis and son, Bobby Lane III, pose for a shot. It was the boy’s 11 birthday. Keep it quiet, but when he gets home he’s getting a water slide.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Bob McKamey of Mudhole Custom Tackle shares a laugh with Elite Bradley Roy, the current Toyota Angler of the Year leader.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Here is my winner of the most cleverly named lure -- the Chug Norris, a huge saltwater plug. Like Chuck Norris, it doesn’t even need hooks to put fish in the boat.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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What happens when you climb atop the casting tank and surprise Brandon Lester with a 'Hey'? He turns quickly, maybe a tad startled, then flashes a smile before sending out the next cast, not missing a beat.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Casey Ashley and fiancé Kenzie Hartman holds hands as they walk the floor. Hartman said no date has been set, but she wants the Elite schedule to be finalized so she can get to planning.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Here is the most finely adorned booth. Jordan Lee’s Classic trophies from the past two years sure create a buzz for Carhartt’s first time at ICAST.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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When you win two Best of Show awards, like LiveTarget did with its Hollow Body Crawfish (Freshwater Soft Lure) and Fleeing Shrimp (Saltwater Soft Lure), you show them off.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Artist Anastasia Musick drew a line at the Coastal Conservation Association of Florida booth as she worked on the painting (background) there then handed out signed art.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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A highlight for many media members who write about bass fishing is the Strike King dinner, which has been held of late at Jack’s Place, a famed restaurant in the Rosen Plaza hotel. Here Jonathon VanDam, wife Arika, and son Matthew Jacob draw eyes.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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As a professional eater, I can appreciate fellow Bassmaster.com worker Chris Mitchell being nearly done with his meal while our digital chief, Jim Sexton, plays with his food, and Ronnie Moore, my partner in crime on Facebook Live during Elite events, had to wait for someone to cut his food. Jim will next teach him how to hold a fork.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Dave Mull, who writes about his fishing exploits from a kayak, squints and grins to match the pose of Fidel Castro. Likeness? Eh, not so sure, but interesting to see all the caricatures. Research finds they were all done by Jack Rosen when he worked at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. Whenever a well-known person visited, the safety engineer at the hotel would draw and try to get them signed.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Wrapping things up on Friday, Ronnie Moore does a video with Ish Monroe, who was the surprise winner of the Elite event on the Mississippi River last month.

Photo: Mike Suchan

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Time to pack it up and tear it down. A line forms at the New Product Showcase as items are retrieved to take home. Another ICAST is in the books.